BRENT LIVESAY:

"I arrived at Dance 101 studio in Atlanta at 1 PM and a line was already snaking around the shopping center perimeter for Beyoncé’s auditions beginning at 4 PM. I figured the line wasn’t for OfficeMax next door. The dancers camped out by the studio door told me they had arrived at 8 AM.

4PM: The first rush of ladies filled the main Studio with 250 energetic bodies and souls. Grooving in the low lighting, feet were clad with everything from myriad sneakers to gold pumps and furry boots with tassels. Dancers looked excited, calm, and focused on "getting it," making it possible for Beyoncé’s choreographer, Frank Gatson, to survey the crowd for his favorites.

ALERT! BEYONCE’s CHOREOGRAPHER LOW-BALLS DANCERS.

After fifteen years of reporting, this is the saddest story I’ve ever taken on. It’s hard to believe that a known choreographer not only low-balls dancers’ salaries, he apparently refuses to discuss the matter with the dancers’ agents. What is going on?

Many choreographers, myself included, value the trust that exists between us and the dancers we hire. Frank Gatson’s actions prove that trust can no longer be taken for granted, even when someone’s got a popstar in their back pocket. Trust must be earned. Right now, Mr. Gatson appears to be way behind in his payments.

My commitment to the community obliges me to report information that affects all of us. Perhaps the following comments from working professionals (some have worked for Mr. Gatson) will encourage (1) Mr. Gatson to step forward and respond to the allegations and (2) encourage dancers to unite and take a stand against unfair practices. Names have been omitted to protect privacy and further backlash:

“Have the dancers involved made complaints to the record company? They are the ones who hired the choreographer. Legally it seems the record company has the responsibility to make sure everyone follows through on their agreements, oral or written.

If dancers or their agents don't speak up and allow the Choreographer to report back with whatever he/she wants to say, the likely outcome is that the dancer gets labeled by music executives as difficult and hard to work with. Once again, situations like this translate into dancers being cheated repeatedly. The process never stops.…”
- Someone Who Works in the Music Field

“Hey, Frank! You can fix this another way besides undermining dancers. Use fewer dancers and not go against agencies and their clients. I can understand such circumstances on a new artist project, but this makes no sense to run the project this way for an artist of Beyonce’s caliber…”
- Professional Male Dancer

"It is a disgrace to have someone like Frank Gatson come to the dance community with this industry insult. Karma is a bitch and it comes back twice as hard Frank! Personally I would never attempt to even allow myself or those around me to audition for him knowing this has surfaced. There are way more talented and fair choreographers who have respect, morals and are grateful for the talent that surround them and make their projects look their best!”
- Professional Female Dancer

"It is it not right what Frank Gatson is doing with the agencies. It is degrading. What right does he have to cut our pay?”
- Professional Male Dancer

“It does not help Beyonce’s reputation for her dance fans to work with such an unprofessional Choreographer. It is sad that Frank Gatson would even attempt to inflict that kind of commotion amongst professionals?”

“As a new dancer in the industry, it makes me question if other Choreographers would conduct their projects the same way against us..?”
- New Professional Male Dancer

“I am disappointed, yet not surprised. I've worked for both Beyonce and Frank before, and I know this is not the first time that he has low-balled dancers. The sad thing is that Beyonce has no clue with what is going on and has put her good faith in Frank to do his job right.

I hope that those dancers being offered this job will have the courage to stand up for what is right and will not "give in" for the sake of dancing for "Beyonce".

We all work too hard to be paid less than what we deserve. Dancers will always be the least paid in the entertainment industry if we continue to accept less than what we're worth. I encourage every dancer to think about this and do their part to voice their opinions, and unite as a community.
- Professional Female Dancer

“Thank you for this. Frank Gatson is a scumbag!”
Anonymous Dance Agent

“It does not help the community when dancers go behind each others back and take the cheap way out for a gig. I know we work paycheck to paycheck, but when we undermine each other and support such Choreographers like Frank Gatson it does not keep the dance community together."
- Professional Male Dancer

“This is Gatson’s usual practice – he gets all the money from the record label and pays the dancers pitiful amounts. And most dancers don’t have the spine to say no these days. They just want to work with Beyonce – they don’t care. He is nothing less than a thief – I actually can’t say enough bad things about him. I hope this blows up in the press."
Anonymous dance agent

“The difference between Choreographers like Frank Gatson and myself is that if it is not in the budget to make project successful then you just don’t take the project. I understand that we have to make financial sacrifices when approached from a big artist but that does not mean that the agencies or dancers should suffer.”
- Professional Industry Choreographer

“We as veteran dancers whom have worked for Frank Gatson before are fighting for the new generation of dancers to have better lives, but it is sad that these new dancers are not fighting for themselves for what they deserve. Dancers are blinded by the gig that Frank will offer and money he promises to get, but there is a shady and two-faced side to his agenda.

If you decide to take on a project with Frank Gatson you must prepare yourself for such degrading remarks as being called either “BITCH” or “HO” and then once in awhile he will turn around and express to those who are listening that “Dancers are so stupid and don’t know anything about life insurance”, but yet he will not fight for the top dollar for us to afford it.

To those dancers who have been offered the gig, please do not become a victim of his hidden agenda. He is two-faced and NOT to be trusted. Do your research dancers and know that the longevity of your career does not lie in paying your dues by accepting unethical gigs that our community does not support!”
- Professional Female Dancer

"At the women's agency call in NYC for the Beyonce auditions, Frank actually gave a little speech about his practices, telling us how agencies often ask for even more money than us dancers are aware of (hence why he doesn't like to work with them), and how sometimes people SHOULD do jobs for less money BECAUSE of the NAME behind it (Beyonce, for example). Many dancers were nodding in agreement (hopefully just to be kiss ass) but I was quite turned off by his 10 minute sermon. It made me wonder how many times he had given this speech and how many unknowing dancers had actually bought into it because he is (gasp!) BEYONCE'S choreographer. AND to give a speech cutting down agents at the AGENCY call?...That's just idiotic. Also, he openly announced to a dancer during the audition: "I owe you money, don't I?" She politely said Yes, and then he gave another short speech on it not mattering how long it takes to get someone their money, as long as you remind them you remember owing it to them! At that point, I was glad I had gotten cut...No thank you. I'll find an up-and-coming artist who will pay me real rates...and pay me ON TIME."
-Professional female dancer, NYC / Miami

Wow..very discouraging news and a great heads up. I was ready to audition in Chicago next weekend, so psyched and ready to go, but after reading this, I feel like that is not what I should do. I'm working on trying to go pro and hitting every audition I can to get seen, but I feel that going to the audition next weekend, would go against what I stand for as a dancer, a newcomer at that. Am I right in not going?
- Entry-level professional

"I couldn’t believe how rude he was during the audition in Atlanta making all kind of comments bashing GAYS and AGENTS…"
- an observor

"That’s really sad to hear about Frank. I am a dancer in the process of signing with an agency. I attended the Atlanta audition in December. Even though I wasn’t there for the agency portion of the audition, I still got that vibe from Frank that he wasn’t very respectable. I also didn’t like the way the audition was run. I received a call back, but no info was taken down from me before I returned later that night for call backs. I saw several girls come back that I KNOW didn’t receive a call back. All Frank did was get his people to put us on tape saying our name and phone number. I know a total of 5 other girls who received call backs at the Atlanta, L.A., and Houston auditions, but NONE of them got phone calls or heard anything about the audition. What’s up with that? Does anyone know if the audition was even REAL? Did ANYONE from the auditions get selected? Somebody please let me know..."
- Allysin B.

RECENT FEEDBACK
April, 2008. Submitted by someone who works in the music field:

Have the dancers involved made complaints to the record company? They are the ones who hired the choreographer. Legally it seems the record company has the responsibility to make sure everyone follows through on their agreements, oral or written.

If dancers or their agents don’t speak up and allow the Choreographer to report back with whatever he/she wants to say, the likely outcome is that the dancer gets labeled by music executives as difficult and hard to work with. Once again, situations like this translate into dancers being cheated repeatedly. The process never stops.

MORE FEEDBACK
April, 2008.  Submitted by same person above:
 
If a payment agreement was put in writing, the agents and dancers could request a court hearing. No one (choreographer) can ignore a notice issued by a court like he is doing with the agent. Should this be done, the dancers possibly get their payment and the court
hearing gets dropped. More importantly, dancers showing they are willing to do this will prevent things like this happening again in the future. HOWEVER THERE IS A RISK. The dancers will potentially be
subjected to harassment by the choreographers attorneys (trying to discredit them in other areas).

Thanks,
Grover

RESPONSE FROM GROVER:

HOW DO PRODUCERS GET AWAY WITH CHEAPING OUT ON DANCERS' RATES?
Hard to believe, but yes, it does happen. Producer "X" refuses to honor Dancers' Alliance rates and simply urges his choreographer to inform dancers they should accept the rate being offered. Producer "Y " insists there are dozens of dancers ready to take this job, so don't even think about hesitating. Producer "Z" is too busy to talk to the agent of any dancer, so take it or leave it. If you're a dancer and any of this sounds familiar, you've probably been auditioning or working in music videos, pop tours, and venues that aren't under the jurisdiction of any legal union like SAG, AFTRA, or EQUITY.

Recently, union advocates are pointing out that some dancers (knowingly or unknowingly) contribute to the abuse. Without dancers at all levels committed to saying "no" every time sub-standard wages are offered, there's little incentive for unscrupulous producers to change tactics.

DO WE REALLY EXPECT DANCERS TO SAY "NO"?
Survival in competitive environments has never been easy, especially when those at the top excel at applying pressure and taking advantage of the inexperienced. Let's face it, newcomers are candidates for accepting anything to get a foot in the door. And there's always the rent to pay. Expecting them to make "informed" choices under pressure isn't realistic.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?
"Walking away...the hows and whys of doing it" are issues that we, as a community, need to address. A guide or an informational help-line is a step that everyone needs to take together.

WHY ARE UNIONS IMPORTANT TO US?
Producers understand the power of a union. When push comes to shove, unions can step in and close down production.

HAS THAT EVER HAPPENED?
Just this week, a friend told me about witnessing a union incident near his gym on Sunset Boulevard. Next to the gym, a noisy crowd of construction workers was picketing a site where work was being performed by non-union labor. He watched in amazement as 30 workers and a few union reps effectively shut down the entire operation. When he left the gym an hour later, the non-union workers were nowhere in sight and the union guys were back on the job working with foremen they had confronted and stood up against only an hour earlier. That's the beauty of having a union behind you.

YOUR FEEDBACK on these issues would be valued. Email: info@answers4dancers.com.

For related info, visit www.dancersalliance.com.